A piston engine usually consists of an engine block, in which cylinders are formed, in which pistons of the piston engine are arranged in a stroke-adjustable manner. Underneath the engine block, a crankcase is generally adjoined, in which a crankshaft is rotatably mounted, which is drive-connected to the pistons via connecting rods. An oil sump is generally adjoined to the bottom of the crankcase. A cylinder head is generally adjoined to the top of the engine block and covers the individual cylinders at the top and contains inlet and outlet ducts that communicate with the cylinders. Charge exchange valves are usually arranged on the cylinder head. Camshafts are also usually mounted on the cylinder head to actuate the charge exchange valves. A cylinder head cover is adjoined to the top of the cylinder head, said cylinder head cover covering the cylinder head and the components arranged thereon. Fuel injectors can be attached to the cylinder head cover, which fuel injectors can inject fuel into the cylinders through the cylinder head cover and through the cylinder head.
Such a cylinder head cover is expediently provided with a certain pressure stability, for example in order to be able to safely absorb an increased internal pressure that can arise in an inner space enclosed between the cylinder head cover and the cylinder head, for example as a result of “blow-by gas”. Blow-by gas is produced during operation of the piston engine when leaks can enter the crankcase from the respective cylinder past piston seals during the explosions inside the combustion chambers and increase the pressure in the crankcase. The crankcase is usually fluidically connected to the above-mentioned inner space through the engine block and through the cylinder head, so the pressure can increase in said inner space too. Furthermore, a certain stability can be necessary for a cylinder head cover if additional parts are to be mounted on the cylinder head cover, such as fuel injectors or a fuel pump or the like.
It is known from DE 10 2005 062 546 A1 to produce a cylinder head cover in composite form, a skeleton assuming the load-bearing function and said skeleton being enclosed by a shell structure. The skeleton can be produced from a high-strength plastic, in particular a fibreglass-reinforced polyamide. In contrast to this, the shell structure can be produced from a simple, inexpensive plastic. The problem with such a composite design is the material mixture that arises as a result, which makes it more difficult to recycle the cylinder head cover. In particular, the different plastics must first be separated in order then to be able to recycle them.